Lesson 14
Base 2 + nikui / yasui

These two are very handy. Use them to show that something is hard or easy to do.

Use nikui for "hard to do":

• Kono budou wa tabenikui. (These grapes are hard to eat.)
• Kono kanji wa yominikui. (These kanji are hard to read.)
• Sono tatemono wa minikui. (That building is hard to see.) ¹

And use yasui for "easy to do": ²

• Kono PC wa tsukaiyasui. (This PC is easy to use.)
• Kanojo no namae wa oboeyasui. (Her name is easy to remember.)
• Kono kanji wa kakiyasui. (This kanji is easy to write.)

Word Check

kono: this, these
budou: grapes
taberu: to eat
kanji: Chinese characters ³
yomu: to read
sono: that, those
tatemono: a building
miru: to see, look, watch
tsukau: to use
kanojo: she, her ⁴
namae: name
oboeru: to remember
kaku: to write

(Verbs are shown in their plain form.)

Notes

1. Besides the converted verb minikui, which means "hard to see," there is also an adjective minikui meaning "ugly." Accordingly, the sentence sono tatemono wa minikui could also mean "that building is ugly." Be especially careful to make the intended meaning clear when using it to refer to people or their property.

2. Yasui also exists as an adjective meaning "inexpensive."

3. For more about kanji, see the Kanji section of A Bit of the Language.

4. Kanojo no is the possessive pronoun "her."

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